A ginger bug is a wild-fermented starter culture made with sugar, ginger and water. It takes about a little less than a week of daily diligence to make one, and you can use it to make probiotic, naturally bubbly soft drinks, sodas, herbal beers and tonics.
Jump to Ginger Bug Recipe | What is it? | Brewing Tips
What is ginger bug?
Ginger bug is a slurry of fresh ginger, sugar and water that has been allowed to ferment until bubbly and foamy. Brewers use the bug to brew probiotic tonics and drinks like root beer, ginger beer or probiotic lemonade.
Like sourdough starter, ginger bug is a starter culture that is rich in wild bacteria and yeast. These starters kickstart the fermentation process for other fermented foods. Sourdough starters provide the bacteria and yeast to make bread. Kombucha mothers make kombucha tea. And ginger bugs make homemade, naturally fermented sodas.
How does it work?
When you mix ginger and sugar together with water and let it sit, the wild bacteria and native yeasts in your kitchen and on the ginger itself begin to proliferate and grow. These wild microorganisms eat the sugar in your bug, and produce carbon dioxide as a result.
When mixed with a sweetened herbal tea, fruit juice or other base, the microorganisms in the ginger bug consume the sugar in the tea or juice. As they do, they reproduce and emit carbon dioxide that gives homemade soft drinks their bubbles.
What Are The Benefits of Ginger Bug
Since ginger bugs are fermented foods, they’re naturally rich in probiotics, namely lactobacillus bacteria and wild yeasts. These organisms help to support metabolic and digestive health as well as the immune system.
Ginger is a wildly popular culinary herb, and it also has medicinal properties. Herbalists use ginger to support blood sugar regulation, ease nausea and support digestion (3). And ginger shows promise in easing morning sickness (4) and migraine (5).
So while brews made with ginger bug are still treats, they’re far better for you than regular soda.
Ginger Bug vs Ginger Beer Plant
Don’t confuse ginger bug and ginger beer plant. While they’re both rich in probiotics and used to make natural sodas, they’re two different things.
Ginger bugs are wild-fermented starter cultures that rely on the native yeast and bacteria of your kitchen to become bubbly.
By contrast, ginger beer plants are a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) very similar to water kefir and made primarily of the yeast Saccharomyces pyriformis and bacteria like Brevibacterium vermiforme (1). That SCOBY produces tiny, gelatinous crystals that you feed sugar water, lemon and ginger.
You can make a ginger bug at home, but you must purchase a ginger beer plant. Or, at the very least, know someone who brews it.
Brewing Tips
- Dice the ginger instead of grating it. While many recipes call for grated ginger, cubed or diced ginger works just as well and it’s easier to strain, too.
- Use sugar or another caloric sweetener. The yeast and bacteria that make your bug bubble need a sugar to help them grow. Sugar is the most common choice, but you can also use honey, maple syrup, palm sugar or any other caloric sweetener. Avoid non-caloric sweeteners like stevia.
- Turmeric and galangal work well too. You can substitute both fresh turmeric and fresh galangal in place of the ginger, for variety. Or use a combination.
- Use organic ginger. Conventionally grown ginger is often irradiated, which may impact its ability to form a thriving bug (2). Irradiation is disallowed in organic production, so organic ginger works best.
- Use chlorine-free water. Chlorine in tap water can interfere with bacterial and yeast production, so choose filtered water or spring water.
- Seal your jar tightly for best yeast production. While it may seem counter-intuitive since other fermented drinks, like kombucha, often use an open container, your ginger bug does best in a sealed container like a Fido jar.
How to Make Ginger Bug
Making a ginger bug is simple. You’ll need organic, unpeeled fresh ginger, sugar or another caloric sweetener and water. It takes about 5 to 7 days to make a ginger bug, and may take less time in warm climates and less in cool climates.
The first day, you’ll mix water with sugar and ginger and allow it to culture in a sealed jar for 24 hours. Then, every day for 4 to 6 days afterwards, you’ll need to add a small amount of fresh ginger and sugar to the bug.
If your ginger bug begins to foam and bubble or if it smells yeasty like bread or beer, it’s ready to use. And you can use it right away or transfer it to a fridge up to 1 week.
Ginger Bug Recipe
Ingredients
To Start the Bug
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 ounce fresh ginger diced
To Feed the Bug
- 5 teaspoons sugar
- 2 1/2 ounces fresh ginger diced
To Use the Bug
- 8 cups fruit juice or sweetened herbal tea
Instructions
Preparing the Bug
- Warm the water in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir in the sugar until it dissolves fully. Cool the sugar water to room temperature.
- Drop the ginger into a pint-sized jar, and then cover it with the sugar water. Seal the jar, and let it culture at room temperature for one day.
Feeding the Bug
- The next day, and each day for 5 days, stir 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 ounce ginger into the jar, and then close the jar tightly. Between 3 and 5 days, you should start to see bubbles forming, and your bug should smell yeasty and gingery. When you see bubbles, your bug is ready to use.
Using the Bug
- To use the bug, strain 1/2 cup of the liquid and mix it with 7 1/2 cups liquid such as fruit juice or sweetened herbal tea, bottle and ferment up to 3 days.
How to Use Ginger Bug
To make soda from your ginger bug, strain about 1/2 cup liquid from your jar and stir it into 7 1/2 cups sweetened herbal tea or fruit juice. Pour the the tea or juice into flip-top bottles.
Remember to leave 1/2 to 1-inch head space. And then let your homemade soda culture at room temperature up to 3 days. Then, transfer the bottles to the fridge and enjoy with in a few months.
It’s important to use fruit juice or sweetened herbal tea when you make homemade, naturally fermented sodas. The bacteria and yeast in your bug thrive on sugar. Without it, your soda and beers won’t culture.
Homemade Raspberry Ginger Beer
Looking for a way to use your ginger bug? Try it in homemade root beer, cranberry soda or this Raspberry Ginger Beer.
Citations and References
1) Wright, John. (2011) How to Make Real Ginger Beer. The Guardian.
2) Katz, Sandor. (2012) The Art of Fermentation. Chelsea Green Publishing.
3) Fleming, T. (ed) (2000) The Physician’s Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine. Medical Economics Company.
4) Smith, C., Crowther, C., Wilson, K., Hotham, N., McMillian, V. (2004, Apr) A randomized controlled trial of ginger to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 103(4), 639-645.
5) Maghbooli, M., Golipour, F., Edfandabadi, A.M., Yousefi, M. (2013, May 9) Comparison Between the Efficacy of Ginger and Sumatriptan in the Ablative Treatment of the Common Migraine. Phytotherapy Research, 8(3), 412-415.
Katie says
My ginger bug works great with honey and I’ve used it to make the lemon soda several times. Thanks for this recipe! Do you know if it’s possible to use ginger bug in place of whey or sauerkraut juice when fermenting?
Cynthia J Aiken says
While I know this is an “old” blog post, but it came across . my fb feed this morning…I am currently living a ketogenic way of life and wanted to know if this ginger bug can be made with stevia? Thank you for your time.
Jenny says
Hi Cynthia,
No. The bacteria and yeast in the bug need a source of simple sugars to survive.
Heitor Marçal says
Hi, Jenny! Greetings from Brazil!
I was wondering here, how much water can I give to the yeast when I feed them with sugar and ginger to increase its amount…?
Cary Bleasdale says
Hi Cynthia-
While the bad news is that some sort of simple sugar is necessary to keep the bug alive, the good news is that the fermentation process eliminates almost all of the sugars, turning them into alcohol or the body of the bug.
Unless you add more sugar to it, this will not produce a terribly sweet drink.
sunday says
Question, I’m having some problems. I do everything as directed, and then it works great. For like 3 days. Then all the sudden it gets into a thick syrupy slurry and all the yeast dies.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but this has happened a couple times, now – so I know it works until day 4.
Any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong here?
thanks for any input.
planted says
It sounds like alcohol built up and killed the yeast. You might try leaving more head space in your container since alcohol is produced under anaerobic conditions. Or leave the lid off a bit longer when you go to add more sugar then give it a shake once the lid is back on.
Joyce says
Thank you for sharing the great recipe!
For storage of ginger buds ~ after using it for some times with feeding new ginger, sugar and water every week, it would have more and more ginger residues in it, do I need to clear the old grinded ginger from time to time?
Louise says
I was wondering the same thing!
Lauryn says
I accidentally used peeled ginger. Will this affect the reaction?
Jenny says
I think it should be fine.
Kelly Thompson Turk says
I used peeled ginger too and by day three everything was bubbling away!
Kelly R says
I am still confused how much sugar I am actually consuming after the bug is ready in 7 days? Is the drink loaded with sugar (not good for diabetics), or does the bacteria ‘eat’ the sugar to reduce the amount of actual sugar in the drink? If so, by how much? Please explain.
Jenny says
Hi Kelly,
You can see in the nutrition section of the recipe that the estimated sugar for this recipe is about 4 grams per serving. Also remember, that you’re not actually DRINKING this drink; rather, it’s a starter for other naturally fermented soft drinks. Fermented drinks contain sugar, and while the bacteria consumes *SOME* sugar, it certainly doesn’t consume all of it.
Liana says
What is JAGGERY???? Do ACTUALLY throw the diced ginger into the warm water? What about the other feedings? Do you ever wash the ginger?
Jenny says
Hi Liana,
I recommend you re-read the recipe (and the post), and follow the steps exactly as they’re written.
Evelyn Anderson says
I looked up” Jaggery”, and it is the original form of sugar, where they mash and cook down the juice from the sugar cane. You might enjoy doing an online search for it and maybe you will see the story that I did. Some of these recipes are hard to read, they need just a bit more detail in my opinion. And the typo about making the bug ” It takes about 5 to 7 days to make a ginger bug, and may take LESS TIME in warm climates and LESS in cool climates.” Probably means less time in warm climates and more in cool climates.
Steph says
I tried this with some pineapple juice, and it was so good. It got really fizzy after only 2 days. Do I need to worry about the bottles exploding or anything?
Lindsay Geitzenauer says
I have made my ginger bug and now have made some sodas to ferment. I don’t have enough flip top bottles, will mason jars work for this time? Also, it says after fermenting at room temp for 3 days to refrigerate… can I put the bottles in the cool basement? The bug recipe made enough for me to made 4 sodas so 8 litres… not sure I have that much space in the fridge! 🙂 Thanks, Lindsay
Jenny says
Hi Lindsay,
You can use mason jars, but your results may be less consistent than with flip-top bottles. A cool basement or root cellar should work. Since the temperature is warmer than the fridge, and less consistent overall, you may want to put the bottles in a cooler. If the CO2 builds up in those conditions, the bottles could break and keeping them in a cooler will be safer and better contain the mess. It’s rare, but it’s a risk.
Lindsay Geitzenauer says
Thank-you!
Mary says
After I use some of the bug to make soda should I add more water?
Jenny says
If you use the bug, it’s good to feed it with more sugar water. And, eventually, you’ll want to replace the ginger.
Gabby @ Putumayo Kitchen says
This looks so interesting …. we cannot wait to try it! Thanks for the fermenting inspiration x
Laura says
This is truly amazing information. I cannot have sugar but how about raw blue Agave? I cannot have fruit juice, it’s like poison for me, but if I can I will tell others about this recipe. Thank you for all your hard work.
Anna says
Agave is not good for you, read what Dr. Axe says about it, type his name into the search on the internet.
Jenny says
Hi Laura. Since agave is a caloric sweetener, it should work. That said, I don’t recommend agave as a sweetener for a few reasons: https://nourishedkitchen.com/whats-your-take-on-agave-nectar/.
If you’re sensitive to fruit juice because of its sugar content, you’ll likely be sensitive to agave nectar since it also has a very high fructose content.
Shanel says
Used this recipe and added it to the Nurished Kitchen rootbeer recipe. Oh man, I figured out after the overwhelming taste of ginger hit my mouth, something was not right. Did some further investigations and found out a lot of Ginger Bugs start out with 2 cups of water, two tablespoons of ginger, and 1 tablespoon of unrefined cane sugar. I will try a rootbeer batch with the adjusted ratios in a new ginger bug and will also try making a batch with the kefir.
Arlene Kadrich says
I’ve got a bug going, but there doesn’t seem to be much bubbling going on. There is a beer smell and it seems fine. It’s been going for about 5 days. I have a vented cap on it. Is it still good? No mold or off smell.
Sheila B says
I’m so confused! I’ve made the prob ginger lemonade and s ginger bug separately. But now I’ve strained off the all of the liquid in the bug and started a new one, what do I do with the strained ginger bug. Do I need to add sugar to it once a week also?
Lorri Lynn Wilson says
Are you putting the top on the Mason jar? Basically closing it or do I use cheesecloth to cover it as I do when making Water Kefir?
Sam Engel says
Thank you for this! I can’t wait to give it a try. Two questions, can I use honey as a sweetener? And, is it safe for children to consume?
Jenny says
You can try it with honey. Yes, I give it to my children.
Stephen says
Honey will not work – i just started researching this and am by no means an expert but many sources mention that honey will necessary bacteria to form the ginger bug. Surprised you don’t know this given your extensive experience publishing on this topic …
Stephen says
Typo above:
Honey will not work – i just started researching this and am by no means an expert but many sources mention that honey can kill necessary bacteria to form the ginger bug. Surprised you don’t know this given your extensive experience publishing on this topic …
Jenny says
Hi Stephen,
Actually, honey will work. I know this given my extensive experiencing publishing on this topic and my extensive experience teaching this topic for over a decade. Further, I promise you that that experience far outweighs your experience given you “just started researching.”
Jen says
Mansplaining, psh!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. I am close to bottling it for the soda. Can’t wait to explore the rest of your lovely site!
Cristal Hardy says
I’ve had a ginger bug going for 2 months now.. I’ve just been so busy and putting off making the soda. There’s no mold and it’s still bubbly and it smells like ginger alcohol now. I’m so tempted to try it. Is it toxic? Should I try to make the soda?
Jenny says
Have you been feeding it on the regular?
Jennifer Bauer says
I took your first book out of the library a few years ago and really loved it. I have always wanted to try making the ginger bug, can i use coconut sugar for the ginger bud?
Jenny says
You could try and then let us know how it goes.
PeggySue says
Do I have to add any more ginger after three days? Can I keep it going continuously? When would I have to replace the ginger, or star over?
Amy says
Is it bad to leave the ginger peel on? Thanks
sara says
Once you get your ginger bug going do you ever add more water or just more sugar and ginger?
Kristin says
Just curious why you say to remove the skin. I thought the bacteria that starts the ginger bug culture is on the ginger skin itself.
Jenny says
I don’t know who started that myth or why it gets repeated, but, no, the microbes in ginger bug do not come from the skin. They can, but wild yeasts and bacteria exist everywhere: in the air, on your tools.
Heather says
Instead of cane sugar could I use honey?
kelley says
hi jenny, I have started a ginger bug but got busy and couldn’t make soda after the first week, so I put it in the fridge. however, I want to make soda now but I wasn’t sure if I would need to refresh it and let it sit out on the counter before doing so, or if I could just use some of the bug straight from the fridge. what is your suggestion? thanks!
Aru Maya says
Hello,
Thank you for your recipe – I am following it.
My question is: is 2 Tablespoon of water enough to start off with? The water is barely covering my ginger.
Other recipes call for starting off with 2 cups of water but they don’t add water during feeding.
Thank you
Kim Wilson says
When you add the ginger, sugar and water on a weekly basis, do you leave the ginger bug out of the fridge so it will start to ferment before returning it?
Jenny says
I just tuck it back in the fridge unless I’m going to make soda.
Carrie Hernandez says
Hi my ginger bug is 7 days old but it’s not bubbly.but cloudy what am I doing wrong? Do I stir or not?Smells good but only slightly yeasty. Newbe but would really love home made ginger soda tia Carrie
Sharon Doyle says
Tried to make a ginger bug but failed not sure where I went wrong? And tips?
Jenny says
Hi Sharon,
Without knowing what you mean by failure, I can’t provide you with guidance on what went wrong.
Rachel Espino says
I am having trouble. I followed insructions, except I didn’t put in a flip top bottle. Nothing is happening! Is this because it isn’t air tight? I tasted it and it tastes like gingery sweet tea.
Ahlam Nasser says
Awesome! I just made a ginger bug two days ago and it’s culturing well! I was wondering as long as I feed the bug etc how long will it last until I have to dump it all out and start fresh?
Teresa D. says
Does the ginger sodas starter produce alcohol? It sounds really great and I’d like to try making it, I’m just sensitive about that for me and my children. Thx!! ????Teresa
Jenny says
Hi Teresa,
Ginger bug is yeast-based and will have tiny amounts of alcohol, about as much as an overripe banana. Whey-based sodas will have less.
Mayumi says
Hi. I am making this ginger bug. Today is my third day. They don’t look liquid-sh at all. Will I be able to strain liquid after five days? Or should I add more water? Thank you for your attention in adavnce!
Jenny says
Try adding more water and let us know how it goes.
Ruth says
Can you use coconut sugar to make ginger bug?
Jenny says
Hi Ruth,
You sure can.
Diana Bell says
Hi
I live in New Zealand. I have 20 acres and on have a collection of heritage pipfruit, stonefruit and vegetables, plus we breed heritage poultry and we keep bees. We belive in caring for the soil and we use what we need to keep our land and everything on it as healthy as we can. If that means using a pesticide to kill Argentine ants that are killing our bees, we do! very carefully.
I am trying to get more people to preserve and use the old fashioned ways to fill a larder. I am trying to source a crock for sauerkraut and thing I have that sorted as a friend is going to Europe in July and I have given her a list – Sauerkraut crock, red wine vinegar barrel, white wine crock and Rumtoft pot. I know lots are our there but I want one from the source.
I wish you well in all you do and am going to get moving on my ginger beer, I have Kombucha and have brewed it for years, but it does get really acidic and that destroys the mucosa in my mouth, so any tips there would be appreciated.
regards
Diana B
Debbie says
Do you have to use herbal tea when making ginger bug soda?
Jenny says
Hi Debbie,
No, you do not.
Lisa says
I have had a batch of gingerbug brewing for while. I actually made mine with raw honey and it worked out great. I keep it in the fridge and take out and feed it periodically. When I use some bug I replace it as you describe too above. As the ingredients are added and strained for use the ginger eventually settles at the bottom of the jar and a sediment builds up. My question is, should the gingerbug ever strained to a clean jar so that the sediment and older ginger can be tossed and the current batch can continue on with fresh ginger?
On a secondary note. My ginger has a lot of fizz, but overtime, my gingerbug has went from a yeasty smell to more of a yeasty sweet alcoholic smell. I know as any ferments it can turn to alcohol. I just want to make sure this does not ruin the purpose of the gingerbug to make naturally carbonated soda or when it gets to point should a new batch be made and the older batch be made to be used in making homemade alcoholic beverages.
Elaine says
Can you please tell me how to store my ginger bug when resting it? I’m not sure if I’m supposed to seal it tightly with a lid or leave a coffee filter attached over it. My last bug that I made produced nice results but since I’ve stored it, it has turned very alcoholic which is not my intent.
Ij says
Hello ma,
Can I buy your two books directly from at a discounted price? I would love to use it for my family. I have 3 children.
My email is: [email protected]
Thnx!
IJ
Jenny says
Hi Ij,
Amazon has both books at the steepest discount, and I don’t sell them directly.
Melissa says
I made my ginger bug and it’s awesome. Now do I put the ginger bug in a flip top or keep it in the mason jar? I’m not ready to use it yet.
Jenny says
Hi Melissa,
Keep it in a mason jar, that’s what I do.
Dana Littell says
The wild yeasts are all in the skin of the ginger, I wouldn’t peel it first. 🙂
Jenny says
Hi Dana,
As a correction, the wild yeasts aren’t “all in the skin of the ginger.” They’re in the air, on your skin and all around which is why this recipe works with peeled ginger, of course, you certainly don’t have to peel the ginger.
Melissa Anderson says
So my ginger bug got shoved to the back of the fridge and I forgot all about it, for like 15 mths. I was going to dump it out but when I went to do that, I shook it a bit and the fizz almost blew the top off my Mason jar. So I burped it and tucked it back in the fridge… but do you think it is still good? As in won’t make me sick good.
Jenny says
I don’t think it’ll make you sick, but I would probably start over.
Robert says
I have a large amount of ginger I bought at a farmers market. If freeze it, will I still be able to use it for feeding my ginger bug or will that kill the yeast?
Jenny says
I think it should work fine.
Robert says
Thanks much, I’ll give it a try!
Emerald says
Can molasses or coconut sugar also be used or added?
Jenny says
You could try and let us know how it goes.
Fabio says
Question, if I keep adding ginger shavings, when do I remove the older shavings? It’ll fill the jar eventually?
Jenny says
Just remove them when it begins to get over full.
Cat says
Fermenting in glass can cause the jars to explode! It’s extremely dangerous!!!
Jenny says
Fermenting in glass is not dangerous, not any more than an oven or stove. Explosions are extremely rare and only have the potential to happen when there’s excessive build up of CO2. Since this jar is covered loosely, not tightly, CO2 can escape and there is NO risk of explosion. Neither is there risk of explosions when you use an airlock, or when you burp your ferments.
Maggie says
Can you use unrefined coconut sugar or organic cane sugar? I’m looking for a healthy drink that my husband would like. He’s tired of plain water all the time.
Jenny says
Hi Maggie,
That should work fine. The key is using a caloric sweetener to feed the bacteria and yeast in the starter.
Laura kellerman says
What do you cover the jar with? The lid? Or some kind of cloth so air can get in?
Jenny says
Hi Laura,
It doesn’t really matter what you cover the jar with as long as it’s loosely covered. A lid, some cheesecloth.
iris says
Great recipe, thank you for sharing! When you prepare the herbal tea, how much sugar do you add?
Jenny says
Hi Iris,
I usually add about 2 tablespoons per quart of herbal infusion.
Lacey says
Can I use whey instead of water? Or does the sugar replace the whey? I’ve just heard good things about fermenting with whey!
Jenny says
Hi Lacey,
No, you need to make the recipe as it’s written (though it’s okay to skip peeling the ginger). You generally don’t need to use whey in fermentation, as it’s only an asset in a handful of circumstances. For this recipe, you’re cultivating wild yeast and wild bacteria.
Hayley says
I made a very fizzy soda with strained berries and ginger bug. I was nervous at first and only drank it one sip at a time. As in, one sip a day, and it made me pretty nauseous. Anyone else have this happen? Should I start my ginger bug over?
Jenny says
Hi Hayley,
I believe your response was psychosomatic. If you drank several ounces, and are unaccustomed to fermented and probiotic foods it’s likely to upset your stomach, but one sip won’t do much.
Cathy says
Hi, I am trying this ginger bug for the first time. When you say ‘filtered water’ in the recipe, what exactly do you mean? We use a Brita filter in our water pitcher — is that what you mean? We have well water. I also have distilled water on hand — should I use that instead? Please advise. Thank you!
Jenny says
Hi Cathy,
When I say “filtered water,” I mean you should use filtered water. They key here is to avoid chlorine in tap water.
Wendy says
If it slimy and gelatinous and no yeast smell after 8 days did it fail?
marie says
There are a ton of comments here! This is apparently a very popular/growing in popularity topic!
I’m attempting to make my first ginger bug.
1. I am not using organic…I don’t think…my husband bought this batch of ginger so I can’t be sure.
2. I also have been using very diced up ginger with the skin on because with my busy schedule it’s the easiest way I could do this. So I thought I’d try first like this. I diced up the ginger ahead of time and put that in a little glass jar in the fridge.
3. The first 2-3 days I saw nothing but a yeast and strong ginger smell.
4. I was thinking that my home just may be too cool. We keep our house cool all year around. Florida. Too hot. AC is our best friend.
5. So, anyways, I was wondering if putting my jar with the coffee filter/rubber band on top would work in an old, smaller crockpot/slow cooker on the least heat setting. I’ve been keeping it in there for 2.5 days now. I’m approaching my 5th day total this Friday. Wondering if you think I’m going to see results. I put a kitchen towel on top of it but not completely covering it just so it will retain a little heat. I know I’ve read before that people put a heating pad around their kombuchas to keep it warm. I tried that but the one I have has an automatic shut off.
Thanks for your time.
Jenny says
Hi Marie,
No, I don’t think you’ll see results.
Heidi Gulick says
I made a gingerale using this ginger bug recipe and a tea from simmered fresh ginger with a little lemon juice. The resulting ale is very delicious, but has fibrous pieces at the bottom, with a texture almost like cotton. It doesn’t look or smell like mold and the drink tastes good, so I have just been straining the bits out. Any idea what this is or if it is a worry?
Kim Wilson says
I read in the comments from Jenny that you are supposed to only use the liquid from the ginger bug, strain it out.
Sharon says
Thanks for posting these instructions!
I just started my ginger bug today.
Had done this several years ago and made ginger beer which I found way too strong!
But now knowing I can ferment fruit juices or a blend of fruit juices with tea, I’m ready to try again.
I prefer a sweeter taste and carbonation and even though the finished product may still have a decent amount of sugar, the fact that it has so many wonderful bacteria and enzymes makes it a hundred times better than regular soda. Which I would be drinking if I didn’t have fermented beverages.
Jo says
First-time ginger bug maker here! The recipe for raspberry soda calls for 1 c. of ginger bug, does that mean I replenish it with 8 tbsp sugar + 1 c. water rather than the tbsp sugar + 1/4 c. water called for? Also, the ginger bug recipe talks about mixing it with tea before using in soda, but the raspberry soda doesn’t mention this, just calls for straight ginger bug. Confused, can anyone help?
Tania says
Jenny,
what is the reason for the ginger? Can you replace it with something else or must it be ginger? Would love make this recipe, but the ginger is a bit strong for the kids taste. Sorry if this question was asked and answered before. Just joined in now.
Marion says
After feeding the bug over and over, there is just too much volume. Do you just throw some of the floating ginger out or what?
Thanks a bunch
Jenny says
Hi Marion, you use it. Or toss it.
Laurie says
I have followed the instructions and my ginger bug has come out smelling really bad. I thought it was to smell that way so I made a drink, tasted it and it was horrid. What is the ginger bug suppose to smell like? Is the drink that you make afterward suppose to taste like ginger beer or ginger ale? I prefer the ginger beer. I drank it when I lived in Ireland, can’t find it here and found your site. Thank you for any help that you can give me.
Sophia @ NY Foodgasm says
Does this contain any alcohol? Do you strain after?
marina says
I heard you on the radio and got so excited and made a ginger bug in a mason jar w/cheesecloth, feeding it every day. It’s been 8 days, and mine looks like your photo — minus the foam and yeasty smell.
I used non-organic ginger, some peeled, some not
raw cane sugar
britta filtered water
I’m in Brooklyn NY, it’s about 70º
Can the bug go bad, or do I just keep feeding it? why wouldn’t it develop good biota?
My house is certainly open to the elements…
THANKS for any advice, everybody!
Maria Leeker says
I am wondering, why can’t I just add everything for the slurry all at once? Also, can I use raw honey for the sweetener and/or use raw honey without water? I have put ginger in raw honey and it seems to have lots of bubbly action, much like a ginger bug.
Mokadas says
Hello Jenny, I have created something I an not entirely sure of with ginger, water and sugar. It has been 8 days now and it is thick like it is made with gelatin or pectin. I can still see bubbling down the side of the glass jar. But I am worried it may not be healthy to consume. Is tgere anyway I can check by the ph for instance if I can consume what I have created?
Wendy says
Did you figure this out? Because I’ve made the same slimy concoction, and I’m not too sure it’s any good.
Ruth Moorhead says
Hoping that organic maple sugar might be an appropriate “caloric sweetener.” I’ve seen several other sugars mentioned, but not this one. And gratitude to the person who suggested the heating pad, as my house is below 60 degrees F for at least 4 months each year.
Deb says
Can you just use some of the ginger bud in a smoothie? Does the yeast affect yeast infections at all?
Jennifer M. says
Jenny – you have made homemade soda making sound so appealing, we are including it in our culinary arts homeschooling ideas this summer. I do have one question for you.
In this recipe, the ratios are 2:1:2 of ginger, sugar, and water. However, when doing my research, i read an article at Splendid Table, where she interviewed you for the ginger bug recipe and the ratios you mentioned there were 2:2:2. Does it matter which quantities to use, or is making ginger bug more like “bucket chemistry” rather than exact ratios?
Thanks so much! Sincerely, Jennifer
Amy H. says
I live in a suburb of Portland, OR. It is the middle of summer right now, but the temperature fluctuates quite a bit. Some days it’s really warm, some days it is quite cool. So, I keep a small heating pad on my kitchen counter (the kind you use when you have a strained back muscle). I turn it on low when the kitchen gets cool and either set my ginger bug mason jar on it or wrap it loosely around the jar and secure it around the jar with big rubber band to keep it warmer.
Like Charzie, from FL mentioned, she doesn’t have problems with fermenting because of the FL heat. Adding that little extra warmth to my jar works nicely in our cooler climate.
I also use this heating pad method with my homemade fermented vegetables. I put the heating pad flat on the counter, set my 4 bottles of packed vegetables jars on the heating pad and tape the corners of the heating pad together to make a little basket shaped heating pad under me jars, cover them with a hand towel, and warm them to facilitate the fermenting process because my kitchen counter space is always quite cool.
I hope that is helpful to those who are struggling with fermentation due to a cool kitchen environment.
Jennifer M. says
Ooh, excellent idea. I could use this in the foothills near Seattle. Thanks for the tip. I wonder if it would help with yoghurt making as well?
martha munters says
Thank you, Jenny,
For this wonderful recipe for the ginger bug. I made it, refrigerated it and started feeding it once a week for a couple of weeks and then decided to use it for a 2nd ferment for my kombucha together and separately with a little fresh fruit, like raspberries or macerated strawberries and it was so delicious both separately and together with the fruit.
When I flipped the top of the bottle back, it was like a champagne cork, but the flavor was wonderful. The one I flavored just with ginger was the best ginger ale I have ever drunk. Thank you.
Best,
Martha
Charzie says
Hey, fun stuff! I just usually throw my coarsely chopped ginger, water and plain ole sugar into a small blender and whiz, then ferment. saves a bit of effort and time and never had a problem with it, though I’m sure the warm temps here in FL are a big help, everything ferments like crazy…even if you leave real juice out if the fridge once it’s opened! LOL! (I use it as a starter for other fermented beverages! )
Tijana says
I have tried twice now to get a ginger bug going. The first time it went to over a week and nothing was happening, no bubbles or beer smell or anything like that. I was using regular ginger (not organic) so I thought maybe that was the problem. I switched to organic and started over again. This time I did get a tiny bit of bubbling after about 6 days and it did smell a bit different (not just like sweet ginger, but a fermentation smell). I was keen to make some ginger ale so I took out half a cup (out of probably close to a quart) of the bug and replaced with some sugar water and a bit more ginger. However I could not get the bug to bubble up again after this (I fed it daily for a week before giving up, as my jar was going to overflow). And my ginger ale also failed – I followed a recipe, I used flip top bottles, but there was zero carbonation after a week.
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I really really want this to work, but organic ginger costs an arm and a leg where I am and I really can’t afford to be having so many failed experiments. The temperature in my kitchen is about 66-68 degrees usually, which is maybe a bit on the cooler side, but it’s not freezing cold, it should still ferment at that temperature I thought.
Would appreciate any pointers. TIA
Susan says
I’ve got my first batch of Root Beer going from my bug… what do I do with the bug now? Refrigerate? Keep feeding? Is it like a sour dough starter?
Tijana says
My (limited) understanding is that once you’ve got it going you can cover and keep in the fridge and feed it once a week.
DH says
Replace the 1/4 cup ginger bug you’ve removed with 2 tablespoons sugar dissolved into 1/4 cup water.
OR
SH says
August 4, 2013 at 4:35 am
Step 3 ” Replace the 1/4 cup ginger bug you’ve removed with 1/4 cup sugar dissolved into 1/4 cup water.”
WHICH IS CORRECT???
Rhonda says
I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with my ginger bug. I add it to my left over coffee from the morning pot, and add a little simple syrup. Put it in a flip top bottle ,in a day or two it will be nice and foamy on top. Then I put it in the fridge for a couple hours, put it in a glass w/ ice ! It is SO GOOD!!! You can add a little half and half to it if you like. Tastes kinda like a rootbeer float only coffee flavored. Yum!!!
I can buy my pre made soda flavors & bottles at the wine & beer making supply near my house.
I use my excess ginger pulp in my breakfast smoothie. I never throw any away!!!
Ellen says
Hello!
Thanks for the instructions. I was wondering what you do with the ginger pulp in the ginger bug jar, as it accumulates over time. I figured some of it would get thrown away, but I was hoping there might be a fun and exciting alternative.
Kay says
Jenny… I’m looking forward to trying this. I’ve read through the comments and haven’t seen an answer to this one yet… after the 5 days of feeding it ginger, I understand that you feed it the 1/4 cup water & 1/4 cup sugar to replace the 1/4 cup you used, but how often do you need to add more ginger to it? Thanks!
Trae says
What happens if you don’t peel the ginger?
Jenny says
Nothing! You can leave the peel on and it’ll work fine.
angela smith says
Must we use rhe the flip top bottles? Wouldn’t mason jars with lids serve the same purpose? I’ve told my kids for a year I want to do this but the supplies needed seem costly for what I would have to make in order to share with my family of six. Thanks in advance!
Debbie says
There is a greater risk of the pressure building up too much and the jars exploding. I would say give it a go but don’t leave the jars around too long.
Cindy says
Looked through and didn’t see how to use the ginger beer just to make gingerale without additional flavors. I use og juice in 2nd brew for tibicos but don’t want any juice flavor for this. (I’m hoping to make something hubby and others will like rather than ‘store-bought’.)
I’ve seen other recipes-untried as yet, for gingerale, but if this makes it easier…?
Caitlin says
I have been having the same problem as Bo, I have attempted this 3 times now and my bug has been active by the second day and then by the fourth it is inactive. Should I continue feeding it in hope of revival, or it that it dead? And I am not sure what I am doing wrong I started with 2 cups of water two tablespoons of sugar and two table spoons of ginger and then i add one table spoon of each ginger and sugar every day and I cover it with kitchen roll. Which is the recipe I found on most other sites. Any advice? I’m very eager to make this but with each failed attempt I loose a little hope and motivation!
Andrew B says
Can you please do article on the preparation of the sweetened herbal tea. Like some different types of tea your talking about and the ratio to the amount of tea and sugar. I understand the Ginger Bug part. But after that what are the ratio for the tea base. Please help.
I know with Kombucha that it’s a cup of sugar per gallon of tea.
Jenny says
I will do my best – probably in springtime! Great idea.
Andrew B says
What would you say the ratio would be for making one quart of sweetened herbal tea? 1/4 cup of sugar per quart? 1 cup per gallon?
William May says
I also would like to know about the alcohol content of naturally fermented sodas. I know that trace amounts of alcohol naturally occur in lots of things. I don’t drink alcohol, though, and have quite a few friends who do not drink for various reasons. I wouldn’t worry about trace amounts, but I would be uncomfortable with anything more than what one would find in “non-alcoholic” beer. Do you know or can you point me in the direction of someone who might know? Perhaps I need to just invest in something to test the alcohol content of whatever I wind up creating. Would you have any budget-friendly suggestions in that arena? Thank you!
Stacey says
Is it required to replace the 1/4 cup you use? If I keep feeding it daily or weekly and then I replace every ounce I use of the stuff then it will just keep growing. I don’t want it to take over the house. I figured the usual feedings would replace whatever I use in soda-making, wouldn’t it?
Landon says
So, I’ve been scanning the comments and looking at other recipes, and the only thing i can’t figure out is if you are supposed to fully cover or loosely cover the jar when it’s in the fridge?
Thanks!
Cathee says
I have made the ginger bug and used it in water kefir and it is wonderful! My question is:
I replace what I use (1/4 cup) with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Do I ever add in more fresh ginger?? Thank you for your help.
Bo says
I just made my second go at a ginger bug 6 days back. My first attempt had almost succeeded but on the 7th day in it lost its fizz and the majority of ginger that had risen sunk back to the bottom. I had it on top of the fridge in my kitchen, within view of a window facing south so I figured maybe the sunlight had sterilized it together with the recent change in weather. I have to keep my kitchen window open because it is one of few sources of ventillation im my apartment, in turn this allows the temperature in my kitchen to shift around quite a bit.
For the new bug I made 3 jars to maximize the yield and put them all in a cupboard above my oven figuring they would be sufficiently warm there. Once again they began fizzing in no time and seemed well on their way within 2 days. Then 2 of them lost it completely on the 3rd day in. These ones were occupying the same grade of mason jar, of which they filled about 3/5. The other one kept on another day and then also seemed to go flat. This was in a smaller jar, filled about 5/6.
I have followed the instructions. I have been stirring the bug when I feed it, though I notice a lot of the recipes say at least once a day indicating I should do it more often. Beyond that, the tablespoons of ginger I put in daily tend to be packed dense. This could have thrown off the ratio with not enough sugar to stabilize. There has also been another drop in weather recently but things in the cupboard have remained somewhat at room temp.
Some recipes call for an addition of 1 tbs water with every feeding so I have since tried that approach with the 2 mason jars. One of these I put back in the cupboard. The other one I put on top of the rad with the smaller jar to see if added warmth may make a difference. I also concealed them with a paper bag as light shines in on that spot. If you have any ideas what I’m doing wrong please let me know. Is there any chance of saving them or should I start a new bug, and this time what should I be doing differently. And if there’s no reactivating them is there any use I can put them to otherwise?
Liz says
I’ve been having he same problem lately. Last summer my ginger bug was going just fine, but I neglected it a bit over the winter and decided to start a new one this spring. Did great for about 1 week then died out. Tried to feed it more sugar, water and ginger–but no go. Started another one, same thing. Going fine for about 1 wk and then died out a bit. More feeding hasn’t brought it back. Not sure what to do or where I’ve gone wrong. Please help anyone who has had similar issues. Thanks so much!
Carrie says
One more question: I made a rosehip, cinnamon, and orange peel soda. It fermented beautifully and its effervescence exceeded my expectations. It is however, very dry so as to be almost astringent. I personally like it well enough because I do not like sweet drinks, but I can’t imagine my 4 year old enjoying it much. Do you have any ideas about what would have caused this? I suspect it is simply the method and ingredients for the tea I brewed but is there any possibility that the fermentation would have anything to do with it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Carrie says
I recently made this recipe but altered it a bit. I used coconut sugar rather than unrefined cane sugar and I fed it probably every 2-4 days for about 2 weeks, rather than every day for 5 days. It is nice and fermenty now and I put it in the fridge. I just want to make sure that it is still “safe” to use having been prepared this way rather than by following the recipe. Any thoughts?
Jenny says
Oh I think it’ll be fine!
Carrie says
Thanks! And thanks for such a quick response!
Gail Theriot says
What do use to cover gingerbug?
Joel Henry says
Has anyone here ever used Xylitol to ferment with?
Jane says
Is there any reason I couldn’t do the final ferment in a firmly closed canning jar instead of a flip-top bottle? I have tons of them . . .
oh says
Jane, no problem, except there wii be alot of built up pressure from the soda., making it difficult to unscrew the jar lid. This is the reason pop tops are preferred, I guess.
Debbie says
The benefit of the flip top bottle is if the pressure builds up too high the top will flip off. It is a big mess but the bottle does not break and send glass everywhere.
Ivriniel says
Why do you peel the ginger for the bug? It was my understanding that the yeasts and lactobacillus is found mostly in the skin of the ginger.
Rebecca Wirth says
I have the same question several others have, but have not seen an answer. Do you keep the bug in the fridge forever after the five days as long as you continue to feed it? There seems to be confusion about this with some readers and now it has me questioning the process. I’ve always kept it in the fridge and continued to feed once per week (while still in the fridge) but now I wonder if that’s wrong.
Thanks in advance!
Holly says
Hi! Do I put a solid lid on the ginger bug when it goes in the fridge or do I leave the coffee filter on?
Cait says
I don’t drink alcohol for religious reasons, but I’m interested in this recipe. Do you have any idea of the alcohol content of this beverage and other like beverages (root beer, and others you mentioned)?
Jeff says
Is it normal for the ginger bug to turn a reddish color. This is my first try at making it.
sandy says
can a ‘bug’ be created by another ingredient aside from ginger? I am allergic to itbut would love to start making my own ‘sodas’ from fermented healthy ingredients
Kasthy says
Once the soda is made and chilled does it have to stay in the fridge? Or can it be stored on the pantry shelf? How long is it good for?
Thanks
Stephanie says
Great post! I’ve tried to make a ginger bug with dried ginger and didn’t care for the results. I’ll have to try fresh ginger instead. Thanks for the inspiration!
Andie says
I keep the organic peel on, chop it and keep it in a jar in the fridge. Each day, I feed my ginger bug a tsp. Ginger and tsp. sugar. I’ve been making sodas for over a year with perfect results.
Mike G says
I just finished up my first batch of ginger bug a couple days ago, but it doesn’t seem to have worked. I have lots of grated ginger sitting on top of the liquid, and I don’t have a you sweet, beer like smell. It smells more like lemony ginger. Do you think this will still work? I don’t want to waste all the ingredients I got for my root beer, so I’d rather make a new batch of ginger bug if that would be better. Please let me know what you think
Jeanmarie says
I just started a ginger bug… I can’t imagine why I haven’t done this before! Thanks, as always, for the inspiration, Jenny!
Aaron says
I’m on day 5 of my ginger bug and almost everything seems to be going well except for the bright pink that its turning. Anyone else have this happen?
Barb says
I have coconut palm sugar. Would that work?
Cat says
If mine never ferments, can I add whey to get it started? I’m going on a week and a half with no bubbles or beer smell after following the directions to a T.
Cat says
Ok, mine finally fermented!
I’m going to stick it in the fridge but I hope I can put a proper lid on it now?
I don’t want it to taste like fridge….
Meg says
Hi! I love your site and recipes. I have been fermenting for about 5 years now and your ginger bug soda was the first thing I ever did, followed by whey soda. Just lovely and the kids love it too. Making my first root beer using your recipe. Thanks for the great insights and congratulations on never being rude to the plethora of people who ask questions that reflect not having read the recipe or are just plain rude. I’d have responded differently to many of these!
Cat says
Nor do i want it to explode…
Marguerite says
You say warm spot. Can it be in the window sill, sun?
Jenny says
I think that might be a little too warm.
Sharon says
I love this and have made it. My question is about the maintenance of the ginger bug. After a couple of uses, it has gotten thick and syrupy. Is there a solution to this? Have you had it happen to you? Is it a common occurrence, and do we just need to make new ginger bug every so often, or am I doing something wrong?
Austin says
Did you keep it in the fridge? I’m only a beginner, but it seems like you need to keep it in the fridge after the initial 5 days of fermentation are over.
Ivriniel says
I think every so often you need to start a fresh one. Over time they can get more and more sour as the acids build up.
Lan says
I started this today! So excited and looking forward to using it! I’m just curious why ginger is mixed with sugar and not salt as when fermenting other veggies. Is it meant to capture/foster the growth of different microorganisms (than the ferments with salt? Can one ferment ginger using salt?
Kyle says
I am trying my hand at making some ginger bug soda. I started my ginger bug about 4 days ago, and it was bubbling and fizzing nicely. I added about 1/2 cup of the ginger bug to roughly 32 oz. of white grape juice. I have this mixture in a mason jar covered with cheesecloth. I put it in the jar on Thursday, and here it is Saturday, and it appears the same. Will this mixture eventually get the bubbles and carbonation? Do I just need to let it sit on the counter, and stir it once a day until this happens? Like I said, this is my first time doing this.
Kyle says
Also, I did not use this specific ginger bug recipe, I used one I found in Bon Apetit magazine.
Ivriniel says
If you leave it in an unsealed jar, your carbon dioxide will escape.
Rj says
I am using lavendar simple syrup for sugar and water. I wonder if flavors during the bugging stage make a different taste. I also have orange water. I wonder if using orange blossom or rose water changes the taste in a positive way during that stage.
Austin says
They will change the taste a little bit, but as you only use 1/4 cup of ginger bug per quart of soda base, the flavor would be very diluted. You’d be better off using a quart of lavender tea, rose water, orange blossom water, etc. with 1/4 cup of unflavored ginger bug.
Maria says
My ginger bug looks really nice in the jar but it doesn’t seem to survive in the soda. I used normal sugar for the bug and cane sugar in the soda I wanted to produce. could it be that this switch killed the bug?!
melba smith says
I had no problem getting my ginger bug going. When I went to measure out 1/4 cup of ginger bug it was so thick it would not strain. Not liquid at all-very thick. I added more water and it is still much too thick. What should I do. The ginger bug is growing faster than I can use it. I made sweetened tea and have added it to that and it seems to be fermenting. Just would like to know about this very thick ginger bug. No one else has mentioned it being so very thick.
Justine says
First of all- thanks for this awesome recipe. I had the first taste of a soda I made yesterday, and it is so excitingly delicious. My question is: After the bug activates, do you still keep it loosely covered? or can you cover it tightly? Does the bug still need air? Or is the loose top to help gas escape?
Also, does the bug stay alive with ginger? I think I put too much ginger in it originally.
Bruce Weaver says
Loved this recipe so much I decided to make a how to video! Love my Ginger Bug
http://youtu.be/5eJRS7SXqF8
Ricard says
What about ginger beer bug? What’s the difference in probiotics strains and or amounts?
Yemoos.com sells an authentic ginger beer bug that looks like water kefir but they claim is totally different. Thoughts?
Ron Bednar says
Thank you Jenny for this beautiful web site and all the information you relate…just wonderful!
Loved reading through the posts and replies.
Only thing I could add is this…When making your initial “ginger bug” include grating the skin of the ginger root.
All root veggies have lacto bacteria on their roots, mainly on the skin and that is what we need to kick off the bug. Doing that also eliminates the need for adding yogurt whey if you don’t have any…although the added whey certainly doesn’t hurt.
A general heads up to all the good folks reading this and looking toward more natural foods and better nutrition.
It’s really all very basic, learn the rudiments of fermentation and experiment using common sense…and share your discoveries with others.
Cheers
thuy says
In step 1 it states to cover the jar loosely. Do you mean with some fabric or paper towel? It’s been over a week and not much is happening with mine, I put a paper towel with a rubber band over the top. I’ve read on other sites to put the mason jar lid on and I’m wondering if that’s what I need to do.
Nancy Zimmerman says
Can coconut sugar be used to make a ginger bud ?
James Howell says
As I understand fermentation of sugared items like kombucha, the sucrose is used by the microorganisms but they leave behind the fructose. Having suffered from gout for several decades, I am very nervous about anything with fructose. Is it true kombucha, etc., is high in fructose?
Trinity says
Anyone have a recipe to make ginger ale that tastes similar to the store-bought ginger ale?
Pucelle says
Store-bought ginger ale doesn’t have any ginger in it. It’s mostly sugar and tastes nothing like real ginger ale. Real ginger ale is just ginger, water, & sugar; Jamaican’s usually add some spices towards the end.
Ivriniel says
Ginger ale does actually contain ginger. It just has a lot less.
Ivriniel says
There is a recipe for ginger ale in “True Brews” by Emma Christensen. She uses champagne yeast to brew it, rather than a ginger bug, though.
Michelle says
Will this mixture last indefinitely as long as I am feeding it weekly? Or does it have a shelf life?
jeena says
Can you use frozen ginger?
judith says
I recently tried making ‘soda’ using coconut water from a young coconut. After a little over 24 hours I noticed that a white powdery (moldy looking) layer had developed on the surface of the water. Is this a bad thing? I hope so, because I poured everything down the drain.
cheryl says
well it took a full week for the ferment to get going! I almost gave up…moving the jar around our un-airconditioned apartment to get the right temperature, an it’s been really hot and muggy…but one day it just started going, like an engine had turned on! I had been feeding the jar with the ginger/sugar/water throughout this “dormant” period. Once it started to bubble, I waited a day then scooped out the 1/4 c liquid to start a soda. That’s sitting on the counter and last night it too started to bubble. Seeing that the ginger bug had only been fermenting one day ( after 7 sitting around waiting) I’m going to try to let the ferment keep going on the counter for a few more days, keep feeding it, before I put it in the fridge. I’ll see how the first batch of soda turns out, but maybe I need to let my bug develop for a few more days before I try to get a soda out of it…we’ll see how the first one will turn out. I guess this is all a little “try and see”…Certainly I never expected the ginger bug to take 7 days to start to bubble, but it did! Now it looks just like the photo! Feel a bit like a mad scientist, but compared to walking down the soda isle in a big supermarket…well, I’m not too worried!
Nancy Alemany says
Yes, I will elaborate. I think there is some confusion about what is where. I followed the instructions and decided to add a quart of sweetened ginger tea to 1/4 cup of ginger bug. Then I put the sweetened ginger tea/ginger bug combination into the flip-top bottles and let them ferment on the counter, after three days I put the flip-top bottles into the fridge. I was so surprised that the beverage was thick and not liquidy as I would have expected, that I am in a holding pattern about what to do next. Hope that helps, Thanks!
Nancy Alemany says
I might add, 1/4 cup ginger bug juice, not the ginger bug itself. The starter is still happily fermenting with a new addition of filtered water and organic unprocessed sugar.
Nancy A says
So i’ve made my first ginger bug and I have a question. The bubbles formed in my flip-top bottles and I placed it in the fridge after 3 days but when I poured it out of the bottle it was thick and not liquid as I would have expected. Is this normal? Is it okay to drink? This is my first experience with Ginger Bug and I don’t know if I’ve created what was intended. Thanks!
Jenny says
I’m not sure why you put the ginger bug in a flip-top bottle in the fridge after 3 days. Can you elaborate on that?
Julie says
thank you so much for this awesome recipe! i plan to start the ginger bug tonight. i came across your site as i was browsing for a ginger ale recipe. can we use the ginger bug to make ginger ale? do you have a recipe for ginger ale? thanks again!!!
Samantha says
I’m a bit nervous to try any homemade sodas after a kefir soda explosion. Do you have to burp these frequently?
Rachel says
I plan to begin by using recycled and sterilized plastic bottles rather than glass — an explosion would still be messy, but not so scary without the glass shards.
Lynne says
Watch out! Sterilizing plastic bottles is said to release dangerous cancer-causing agents. My doctor and homeopath warn about reusing or even using plastic bottles at all.
Jeremy says
I would use plastic only when no other suitable material were available. That being said, if you use an airlock in your fermentor you won’t have to worry about burping or explosions. Most suitable glass containers (bail-top bottles, growlers, etc.) can handle the pressure.
Catherine says
This is my third attempt at making a ginger bug. I had assumed my home was too cold (64 degrees) we had a few warm days and I was excited as I was finally seeing some bubbles. I fed it as directed and havent seen bubbles since. It got a little cooler (70 degrees). I have fed it for 3 more days and still nothing. Do I have to scrap it and start over? My two batches of Root beer did not work when I tried it with Kefir starter. Im using distilled water and organic cane sugar and fresh organic ginger. Any ideas?
Chris Raines says
I would avoid using distilled water with any of your ferments. It’s possible that could be the issue, distilled water is inert, having all of the minerals removed during the distillation process. I would us a good filtered water instead.
Lesle-Ann says
Hi.
The root beer is bottled and I am excited. This is my first batch.
My question is how long can we keep the bug? Should if go in the fridge or can I keep it on the counter if I want to make more ginger beer soon?
Astrid Hensel says
I am very new in this kind of thing,meaning fermenting food. My question is when you make the sweetened herbal tea how much sugar do you use for the one quart of tea?
Thank you for all the good recipes and information.
Astrid
Chrystal says
My ginger bug looked good and smells good after 5 days. I placed it in the fridge to store and after 3 days it is not bubbling anymore. Should I take it out and place on the counter again?
Kristin says
I was curious on the same thing.. Mine doesn’t seem active since I put it in the fridge.. I took out what I needed to brew, fed it and let sit on the counter till room temp- started brew and it is working fine.
Jeanne says
In the directions you say to feed it every day for the first 5 days.
But, in the beginning of the article you say you feed it daily: “A little jar of ginger bug, a slurry of ginger and sugar, sits on my countertop next to my sourdough starter, where, fed daily, it bubbles and foams.”
So what do we do after the first 5 days?
Feed it once a week with the 2T each ginger/sugar/water and daily a 1/4c each of sugar and water (assuming I am removing 1/4 a day of liquid)?
Or daily feed it 2T each ginger/sugar/water, in addition to 1/4c each of sugar and water (assuming I am removing 1/4 a day of liquid)?
Eric says
My ginger bug is currently bubbling a little, been 5 days now. Was wondering if it is normal for most of the ginger to wind up clumping up at the top of the the mixture. It’ll happen over a few hours after mixing and the bubbles seem stuck underneath it. I’ll mix it but it will eventually clump up again. Any help from anyone would be great!
Janie says
Mine is doing the same thing and not an lot of bubbles
Judy says
Help please! The ginger bug turned out great, your recipe is a bit different than ginger bug recipes I used previously but made a much more active bug for me. I added it to a strawberry wort to make strawberry soda that I’ve successfully made in the past many times. The wort was just fresh organic strawberries, organic whole cane sugar and purified water simmered for 20 minutes. It took longer than usual to see bubbles (10 days). Problem, there is also a film that has accumulated on the top, looks a little like a scum and seems to have some particulates on it. But bubbles are being generated. Is this film/scum something to be concerned about? The soda smells normal – like it has in the past (strawberry/ginger fermented smell). Is it still OK to bottle and drink this?
Lisa says
I have the same white “scum” floating on top. Is this normal? I’m guessing it’s harmless, just looks gross in drinks and I was probably supposed to poor it thru a coffee filter or strainer….?
D says
I have the same problem. Did you find out the answer? I’m wondering if I can use the same starter or if it’s been infected.
glenda gonser says
also I have chunks of ginger already peeled and frozen, I take them out to make tea. would they work if they are left to thaw then grated?
glenda gonser says
would the cones of mexican sugar work?
pigneguy says
i read elsewhere that the skin of the ginger is needed…as that’s the source of the lactobacillus bacteria.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/diy-ginger-bug-and-lacot-fermented-zb01302zrob.aspx#ixzz2SLXuK2c1
Jenny says
It’s not necessary. Lactobacillus exist nearly everywhere.
Sara says
I used peeled ginger when I started mine, and it was active in 2 days.
I’ve seen a lot of places saying it’s necessary, but having an active, fizzing bug in 2 days makes me doubt that.
Kendahl @ Our Nourishing Roots says
I love ginger! And ginger ale has been a favorite of mine since childhood, but I vastly prefer the traditional version, which I never discovered until a few years ago. So much better!
Janelle @ a Shiloh Life says
Hi Kendahl! Could you share your ‘traditional version’ ginger ale recipe? 🙂 Kind regards, Janelle
Amy says
Silly me. Soon as I finished typing my comment (certain I had inferior ginger or sugar) moved my bug to a warmer spot. Next day, bubbles! Gonna brew some tea and try bottling tonight.
Amy says
I am 5 days into feeding my ginger bug, but still no bubbling. I have it covered with paper towel like I do my kombucha. Should I be covering it with the jar lid? I don’t want to waste such expensive sweetener if it is just not gonna grow.
Katrín says
I was just wondering, could the ginger bug liquid possibly be used as a substitute for whey when fermenting things like vegetables? Whey is just not sold here in Norway..
Love your blog!
Sandy McG-B says
You don’t have to buy whey, if you strain yoghurt through a cloth, the liquid that comes out is whey. 🙂
[email protected] says
I LOVE home made fermented gingerale/beer and make my own often–but now my daughter has asked (and so I ask you)–can you make fermented home made lemonade the same, making a “lemon bug” with chunks of lemon and peel? I’ve heard of making fermented preserved lemons–but not lemonade. When I add lemons to my kombucha, it goes a little crazy with fizz. I wonder how this would effect it?
Karen says
Cindi, at thehealthyhomeeconomist.com, Sarah has a recipe for fermented lemonade.
Dolores says
I would love your recipe for fermented lemonade as I have an abundant supply of lemons.
Marisa Schwartz says
What kind of herbal tea have you found that goes well with the ginger bug?
Any specific brands/flavors? Thank you!
Melissa says
Have you ever tried adding this to kombucha? I’m thinking it would help it be more fizzy.
Thx!
SH says
Kombucha is made with a SCOBY. Different set of bacteria and yeast. Both delicious, fizzy, fermented beverages though 🙂
Dodie says
I love this in Kombucha! The only reason I make it actually!
Obviously I don’t use it in first ferment, but I add it into my second ferment. Delicious!
SOPHIE says
Thank you! I will try in kombucha too!
Kara says
Did you use a 10 percent ratio of Rootbeer elixir made , with 90 percent Kombucha ?
Rachel says
Can you use a bottle with a cork rather than the flip top bottles?
judith says
If your ‘soda’ is fermenting correctly, it will blow a cork out of the bottle. My first batch of pineapple/orange soda would literally blow my bangs up when I released the flip top off the bottles.
Vicky says
This sounds great! I can’t wait to try it. Just want to clarify the feeding process, if the ginger bug has been in the fridge. When I feed it, do I leave it out in a warm place for a set about of time and then return to the fridge or do I just feed a d re-refrigerate? Thanks!
Sally says
This is a very interesting post! Surely we can do a lot of things with ginger and most of them are beneficial for our body too.
Joan Smith says
This fascinates me because I love ginger and all that it does. an we use coconut sugar? What is your definition of loosely covered? For my yogurt and kefir I top their jars with a coffee filter held on with a rubber band. Is that lose enough? I usually microplane my ginger, but your picture looks like your ginger is more coarsely grated.
[email protected] says
A friend of mine tried using coconut sugar, and turbinado sugar, and they were so malty that she couldn’t get past the smell and threw them out.
Holly says
I’m unclear on the “sweetened herbal infusion” – what exactly is that?
Also, does this consume enough of the sugar to be GAPs legal?
Thanks!
Scott says
Looking forward to giving this a try soonest. Do you know of any reason why agave nectar wouldn’t work as the caloric sweetener?
Molly says
What do you do with the bug after you use the initial 1/4c to make ginger drink? Do you keep it alive in fridge and feed like the sourdough starter 1 time a week or on counter and feed daily?
Celina says
I have the same question!
SH says
Step 3 ” Replace the 1/4 cup ginger bug you’ve removed with 1/4 cup sugar dissolved into 1/4 cup water.”
Step 2 “You can also store it in the refrigerator, and feed it 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water once a week.”
Michael says
Don’t you then end up with 1/4 +1/4 cup of sugar water = 1/2 cup?
Isn’t that going to outgrow your container awfully fast?
PeggySue says
Did you ever get an answer to this? I have the same question.
Anne Tobin says
I want to thank your for making your recipes easy to print. I can’t wait to try the ginger bug and make my own healthy ginger ale. Thank you, thank you.
Nan Roberts says
What do you mean by “room temperature?” I see most things should ferment at that temp. Is it 70? My house is usually rather cold, say 65, depending on the room. I could leave the best on in the bedroom, tho, and bring it up to the right temp.
I can’t wait to make a ginger bug. Especially to make ginger beer (or would it be ale?)
Diane says
Can I substitute Stevia for the sugar…OR…use ‘Sugar In The Raw’?
Jenny says
Stevia is not a caloric sweetener and will not work. The sugars I link to above are *much* less refined than “Sugar in the Raw,” though you can certainly substitute for it.
judy says
Does it *have* to be unrefined sugar? Or will white sugar from the supermarket work equally well, just with less nutrients in the final product?
Kendra says
I would like to know the same. I usually have sucanat on hand but am currently out. However, I do have ginger and would like to get started with this before our local food co-op drop in 2 weeks…
Makenna says
When this is done, is it alchoholic? I know salt stops alchoholic from forming when lacto fermenting, but what about this?
[email protected] says
I was trying to let mine become more of a ginger “beer” and let a bottle sit (sealed) on the counter for 5 weeks. I tested it’s alcohol content with a hydrometer, and it still did not even register, meaning the alcohol content was negligible at best.
clyde says
You will not get a proper reading with the hydrometer if there are other dissolved solids in the solution (sugar is the main one, but there will be others present also). Gram per gram, sugar will out ‘weigh’ the alcohol by more than half. In other words, 1% sugar will hide 2% alcohol.
You can get a rough calculation of the % of alcohol produced by multiplying of sugar added (and is fermented) by 61% (0.61). If the fermentation is not stopped in some manner (which includes consuming!) the yeast will always continue to ferment the sugar that is available.
Not that this would keep ‘me’ from making any!
Michael says
This is not accurate. The hydrometer will work with non-sugar material in the solution. Make sure it is a brewing hydrometer that measures the amount of sugars in a solution of water and it will work properly.
Brent says
Unless you are measuring a solution of pure alcohol and water, the only way to get the percentage of alcohol with a hydrometer is to take two measurements: 1) before you add the yeast/bug; and 2) a second after fermentation. Then you adjust the two readings for temperature and then the difference between the two tells you the abv (us a calculator to convert the gravities to abv). The hydrometer is measuring the density of the liquid, which is a function of the sugar, water, and anything else. The other things do not matter when you take two readings because they will remain constant–the only change will be the conversion of sugar into alcohol and CO2, so the difference between the first and second reading will measure the amount of sugar converted to alcohol.
If your hydrometer is reading a specific gravity of near 0.0, that means that essentially all of the sugar has been converted to alcohol.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/hydrometer-temp/
http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/
elf says
Is the amount of Jaggery the same as the sugar?
Marilyn says
OK, I get that the sugar in the ginger bug is for the bacteria in the the bug. And I don’t have a problem with the idea of using sugar. The problem is — I’m hyper-sensitive to sucrose, and if it ISN’T all eaten up / broken down, I can get really sick. For some odd reason, I don’t like getting sick. So — CAN honey be used for the bug? I know the lactobacilli in my honey-sweetened coleslaw dressing really like honey… I had a batch of coleslaw which got pushed to the back, and the bacteria joyously ate up the honey in the dressing, yielding a most interesting sauerslaw.
Jenny says
I would recommend looking into the Body Ecology Ecobloom linked above. I’m working on a version that uses this alone. It is likely able to support the fermentation of the bug and the soda.
Marilyn says
Alas, the Body Ecology “Bloom” is pure inulin, FOS, fructooligosaccharides, and I can’t do that, either. There are plenty of us out here for whom honey is the only nutritive sweetener around, unless you want to try it with dates or mashed ripe bananas.
Lynne says
I, too, want to know about honey or rapadura as those are readily available to me, and I, too, avoid sugar. Can it be used in ginger bug or kombucha?
Susan Catron says
Jun is like kombucha but uses honey to sweeten the tea. I have never made Jun, just read about it.
Tom says
Honey is very fermentable. I make Jun and mead with it all the time. I would follow these directions and sub the sugar with honey. Play with the amounts until it works for you. Have fun!
Jody says
Thanks to all those who asked about honey. I use sugar maybe once a year so all I have is refined. But I have raw local honey and will do that! 🙂
joe says
If you plan to use Honey, make sure is has been pasturized to avoid cross contamination of the bacterias. It can cause mold.
Brooke says
Hmmm … I have not made this but I do make Jun. You need the benificial baceria in the RAW honey (pasturized honey isn’t really good for much IMHO) to make the ferment work. I suggest that perhaps you may not get results with pasturized honey! I know that Jun requires RAW.
Just a thought.
Jeremiah says
In general, honey ferments nicely as far as flavor goes but tends to leave more unfermented sugars, stalls with too much, and generally ferments slower—all probably due to its antimicrobial properties.
If honey, being mostly made up of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose doesn’t cause you problems, invert syrup may be a good option. Invert syrup is very similar to honey in its saccharide ratios and is reasonably easy to prepare, resulting in a fairly balanced mixture of fructose and glucose. Like honey, invert syrup does retain some sucrose, so I recommend proceeding with caution regardless of the sweetener used. Fermentation itself can do a good job of “cleaning up” sucrose, but this will vary on how far you let it go.
Yeast inverts sucrose itself using invertase, so invert syrup “spares” the yeast that first step and tend to result in a faster and more predictable start.
rik says
Try to heat the honey above 45 degrees celsius. The protein that prevents grow of bacteria will be destroyed. It also destroys an enzyme which breaks down sugar into hydrogen peroxide.
With those two enzymes out of the way your honey does exactly what it needs to do, feeding the bacteria.
Lindsey says
Hi Marilyn, I learned recently honey does work but it can take months rather than days to ferment. I’ve not tried honey yet although i intend to so i’d say give it a try bit be prepared to wait. you may find it to ferment fast depending on temperatures and or stirring more for air circulation. Good Luck 🙂
Lindsey says
Jeremiah explained it better, apologies I did not see his comment until after my post.
RPL says
Sandor Katz has a recipe for mead in Wild Fermentations… mead is from honey & it ferments in just 3 days… I’ve never had an issue getting raw honey to ferment.
On a side note & why I came here- I’m on day 6 & used florida crystals sugar- no ferment at all. This is the first ferment I’ve ever had an issue with. I chopped the ginger fine with a knife, I didn’t have a grater bigger than a microplane, otherwise I followed the directions precisely. Any idea what the issue could be? I’ve never had a problem with any ferment or with one of NK’s recipes & I did check to see if there was a ginger bug recipe on the Get Cultured class series… hoping with a video I could find the answer. Any help would be appreciated!
Wynfrith says
Having made mead, you cook the honey and strain a lot of the protiens out, leaving a more refined honey that the yeast finds easier to digest.
Mel says
I did an experiment with this. I made one with sugar and one with honey to see what happened. I started them on the same day and sat them next to each other. Every day for 5 days I fed them as per the directions above but using 2tbsp honey instead of sugar in one of them.
After about 3 or 4 days, my sugar one had started bubbling but there was no action on the honey. I kept feeding for a couple more days then put the sugar one in the fridge. I didn’t feed the honey one for 3 or 4 days as I figured there would still be plenty of ‘food’ in there if it hadn’t started fermenting yet. I fed the honey one about once or twice a week after this and eventually after about 2 weeks it started slowly bubbling.
So it seems you can use honey but it will take a lot longer to get started. I should point out it’s starting to get chilly here now (ranging from a high of 20 degrees C to a low of 10 degrees C at night) so it might not take quite so long if you’re living in a warmer part of the world (ie most of the Northern Hemisphere!).
ZoeZenGarden says
Thank you for doing the experiment and providing this information!! My mother is actually allergic to sugarcane and I was hoping to be able to make this for her! I am so glad to know that it can be done with honey and a little patience! YAY! You seriously made my day!
Jason says
Most health food stores and maybe even some supermarkets sell powdered, refined fructose, and sometimes even glucose – the two sugar components of honey. I would imagine those have little or no residual sucrose compared to an invert syrup someone has made on their stovetop. They can be a little pricey, but probably no more so than good honey.
Jason says
Corn sugar is also easily purchased where brewing supplies are sold (and maybe even in health food stores). Corn sugar is glucose, though you might want to research to see if it contains any residual sucrose. I don’t think it would since it is made from hydrolysis of starch. I wouldn’t think it would contain any sucrose to begin with, but I could be wrong.
Sean says
The feeding directions are also vague. Must one feed it a knob of ginger every morning for ever? Every few days? Once a week? For my sourdough I feed it intensively when I want a lot of strong starter for baking and just keep it in maintenance mode the rest of the time. I am not sure I can add grate a knob of ginger to my list of daily maintenance the kitchen needs.
What would letting it coast be like? No food for a week in the fridge?
Jenny says
I think it’d be fine – just like a sourdough starter. Once it gets going, it’s quite resilient.
Eduardo says
Hi Jenny, I´ve just read your post on How to make ginger Bug for hmemade sodas. I am getting started on making homemade soda for the family.
How long does the soda last on the after is made and placed in the fridge? and, Does the fermentation stops completely when the soda is cooled on the fridge?
Cheers,
Eduardo
Jenny says
The soda will last more or less indefinitely in the fridge. The fermentation slows down, but doesn’t cease interely.
SH says
After the initial 5 days, you feed it weekly. See step 2 “You can also store it in the refrigerator, and feed it 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water once a week.”
Daniel Leblanc says
you can put it in the fridge to stall the growth of the yeast. but if you make it every few days or once a week like i do, you can leave it going on the counter(i make a larger bug, about 2L) and feed it every 2days or so, just a tbsp of ginger and sugar each. it does help to stir it daily, just to make sure things dont settle.
its sort of like a continuous brew of kombucha.
maurita says
this sounds awesome! just one question: at the end of the directions you say to “replace what you remove with sugar water”. how much sugar would you add to the 1/4 c. water you would add back in?
kate says
im on day 4 and also no bubbling or beer flavor. im using regular sugar and it is a little cold here. i read that it takes longer in cooler environment, like 8 days. i also have stored my fresh ginger in the fridge then take out and add to the bug, which may make it cooler and inhibit growth of lactobacillus. any suggestions? should i put it in an oven set to lowest setting for 1 minute and then cut off like i do when breads rising? i wanna get the bacteria growing!
Hanna says
I’m having this exact issue… Can anyone offer a solution?
Bee says
Use organic ginger. The non-organic is typically irradiated and won’t work.
Jackson says
I’ve never had non-organic ginger not work for this.
Claire says
My bug has been fermenting for 7 days in a warm kitchen. Organic sugar, organic ginger, well water, no chlorine. I’ve got a tiny amount of fizz. I’ve done everything I’m supposed to be doing and nothing so far with regards to being really bubbly. What now ???
Lauri says
Try a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (not from bottle). If that doesn’t get it started, strain off some water and replace with water and another squeeze of lemon juice, no additional sugar until it gets going. Too much sugar can halt fermentation.
Lucia says
I have a Li on mine on a table next to the wood heater. In 7 days it was fizzabulous.
Reanna says
I’ve made lots of ginger bug and had it start in as little as 2 days but it was the middle of summer and hot hot hot. I’ve also made it when it was cooler and it would take closer to 5 days. I have two suggestions, firstly, how are you covering your bug? I use cheesecloth or a coffee filter with the ring instead of the metal lid. In order for this to work you need to allow the yeast that’s floating around in the air to come in contact with your ginger sugar water mix. Otherwise there’s nothing to grow. Secondly, where are you storing your bug? Is it drafty, or near a window that’s cold? In the winter, I like to store my ginger on top of the fridge as it generates heat and will keep the bug nice an warm. Or you could probably put it in the oven with just the oven light on. I know people have done that in the past for bread. I probably won’t turn the oven on though because it doesn’t need to be THAT hot. just around 70 degrees would be sufficient.
as a side note, I have also done this where I put a lot more than the 2 T of water in in the beginning. I’d fill the pint mason jar 3/4 of the way up. and I didn’t really measure my ginger or sugar. Just as long as you’re feeding it and replacing what you take after it gets going, you should be just fine.
Daniel Leblanc says
if you use ginger from outside the country(like mine is from china) then it has likely been treated for bacteria which kills the yeast. i use a tiny amount of dry yeast(about 1/4tsp) to get things started on the first day. if the bubbling stops after a few days just add a tiny amount more yeast. a lot of recipes say not to use bread yeast but in fact if you give it enough time the yest will lose that bread-y taste. organic ginger is the best way to go for sure though.
Katie says
Are you grating your ginger? I tried chopping it really finely but to no avail. It must be grated.
SH says
See step 3 “Replace the 1/4 cup ginger bug you’ve removed with 1/4 cup sugar dissolved into 1/4 cup water.”
Glod says
1/4 cup of sugar dissolved into a 1/4 of water
Andrew B says
So…. After making the Ginger Bug. I’m confused and the herbal sweetened tea part. Can you elaborate on that for me. I brew Kombucha so I’m not a complete newb, just what is the recipe for the Herbal Tea part? And how much sugar? A cup per gallon? Can you us black teas, green tea, raw herbs. Etc? Talky want to know more about the tea part. Thanks.
Cheryl King says
Same as any you use for kambusha. Sweet tea is made by combining fermented tea leaves (black or oolong or pu-erh are fermented b4 they are dried)